The Trial Has Begun...

Today's Goal: Track and analyze the sequence of events and the impact of witness testimony during the Tom Robinson court case.

The Plan:

1. Summary Activity
2. Chapter 16/17 Quiz
3. Trial Evidence Chart
4. Read Chapter 18 if we can.

*The summary activity is an in-class activity. If you are absent, you do not need to make it up.

*The Trial Evidence Chart is on paper. If you are absent, it may be helpful to print it out and work on it to the best of your abilities before Monday. CLICK HERE for the document.

Homework/Important Dates:

• Read Chapter 18 over the weekend.
• Finish Evidence Tracker for HECK TATE and BOB EWELL
• Your next Vocab Quiz will happen on Friday, May 6 (One week from now)
• Click here for the slides

Two-Chunk Paragraph

Today's Goal: Analyze Atticus' character motivations through close reading and by writing a two-chunk paragraph. (This is an extension of Tuesday, which we did not finish).

The Plan:

1. Book Love! (You'll need a NEW book-- don't just bring the same one you just did a presentation on).
2. Close Reading Review/ Two Chunk Paragraph time
3. Read Chapter 16

Two Chunk Writing Prompt:

How do the actions of Atticus in this passage further develop Lee's definition of courage?

Homework/Important Dates:

• Finish reading chapter 16 and read chapter 17
• Quiz tomorrow (chapter 16/17)
• Your next Vocab Quiz will happen on Friday, May 6 (Two weeks from now)
• Click here for the slides

BOOK CHAT!

Today's Goal: Share our chosen books with our peers!

The Plan:

1. Book chat!

Homework/Important Dates:

• Work on Research Paper Revisions. (I will accept research paper revisions until April 28 [TOMORROW!!]. After that, scores are permanent if you have not spoken with me personally or via email.)
• Click here for the piece of paper you need to have filled out in order to submit your printed essay to me.
• My grades for progress reports are due this weekend, which means if you have ANYTHING to ask to be revised via email using the templates provided that you want to do to help improve your progress report grade, I need that by THIS FRIDAY.
• Your next Vocab Quiz will happen on Friday, May 6 (Two weeks from now)
• Click here for the slides

Standing for Truth and Justice

These are vultures.
Who in chapter 15 could we compare them to?

Today's Goal: Analyze Atticus' character motivations through close reading and by writing a two-chunk paragraph.

The Plan:

1. Chapter 14/15 Quiz
2. Short time to work on Book Chat Writing 
3. Close Reading
4. Two Chunk Paragraph

We will be reading a short passage together today, annotating as we go. Remember last time we did annotations, and we responded whenever and wherever we could? 

We annotate to:

• REACT to the story
• ASK questions
• RESPOND to the character's actions or choices or statements
• DEFINE words we don't know
• REPHRASE writing in our own words
• There are lots of others. These are just some examples.

Two Chunk Writing Prompt:

How do the actions of Atticus in this passage further develop Lee's definition of courage?

Homework/Important Dates:

• CARN vocab practice due Wednesday, April 27
• Click here for the slides
• Book Love Book Chat will take place on Wednesday, April 27
• Assignment can be found on Google Classroom
• Work on Research Paper Revisions. (I will accept research paper revisions until April 28. After that, scores are permanent if you have not spoken with me personally or via email.)
• Your next Vocab Quiz will happen on Friday, May 6 (Two weeks from now)

Monday

Today's Goal: Read!

The Plan:

1. Book Love! (Either read or work on your document for ten minutes)
2. Allergy Announcement
3. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 P4R

• In what way do we see another social class defined?  Please be ready to document a specific piece of text. 

Chapter 15 P4R

• How is the thematic concept of youth apparent in this chapter in Jem?  in Scout? (Hint: The concept reveals itself differently in both characters).
• Closely read Scout’s behavior in the mob.  (Document the text) How is it believable or unbelievable? Why?

Homework/Important Dates:

• Read Chapter 15 in To Kill a Mockingbird
• Quiz on chapter 14/15 tomorrow, Tuesday, April 26
• CARN vocab practice due Wednesday, April 27
• Click here for the slides
• Book Love Book Chat will take place on Wednesday, April 27
• Assignment can be found on Google Classroom
• Work on Research Paper Revisions. (I will accept research paper revisions until April 28. After that, scores are permanent if you have not spoken with me personally or via email.)
• Your next Vocab Quiz will happen on Friday, May 6 (Two weeks from now)

Aunt Alexandra's Judgements

Today's Goal: Assess our mastery of the roots IDIO and NOMEN. Assess the ways in which Aunt Alexandra casts judgement over others.

The Plan:

1. 5 minute study time
2. IDIO/NOMEN Vocab Assessment
3. Book Love when you're through
4. Read chapter 13
5. Chapter 12/13 P4R (On Google Classroom)

HOMEWORK/IMPORTANT DATES

• Book Love Book Chat will take place on Wednesday, April 27
• Assignment can be found on Google Classroom
• Work on Research Paper Revisions. (I will accept research paper revisions until Thursday, April 28. After that, scores are permanent.)

Reading

Today's Goal: Read more in class

The Plan:

1. Book Love
2. Book Chat Assignment reminders
3. Read To Kill a Mockingbird
4. Chapter 12/13 P4R questions on Google Classroom

HOMEWORK/IMPORTANT DATES

• Vocab Quiz on Friday, April 22.
• Click here for the slides.
• Book Love Book Chat will take place on Wednesday, April 27
• Assignment can be found on Google Classroom
• Work on Research Paper Revisions. (I will accept research paper revisions until April 28. After that, scores are permanent.)

Ketchup

Today's Goal: Make like a tomato and catch up.

The Plan:

1. Chapter 10/11 Quiz
2. Work on English things that you can finish, improve, or complete.
3. Start reading chapter 12 if you are all caught up, or work on Book Love.

IF you are not using this time to work on English tasks, I will find you more work to do, and it will not be fun.

A list of things to work on:

1. Characterization Classwork from yesterday (I am collecting this before you leave today.)
2. Finish P4R Chapter 8-10. 
3. Revising your Essay
4. Revising past assignments that you didn't get adequate scores for (P4R, other classwork, etc.)
5. Making up quizzes from when you are absent
6. Reading your Book Love book
7. Writing for your Book Love Book Chat
8. Reading To Kill a Mockingbird

HOMEWORK/IMPORTANT DATES

• Read Chapter TWELVE in To Kill a Mockingbird. 
• (No Quiz tomorrow)
• You will have a Vocab Quiz on Friday, April 22.
• Click here for the slides.
• You must complete a Book Love selection by April 22. 
• Book Love Book Chat will take place on Wednesday, April 27
• Work on Research Paper Revisions. (I will accept research paper revisions until April 28. After that, scores are permanent.)

Direct and Indirect Characterization

Today's Goal: Distinguish between a narrator providing us with direct characterization, and the actions of characters that provide indirect characterization.

The Plan: 

1. Book Love
2. To Kill a Mockingbird discussion and P4R (Google Classroom)
3. Book Love Assignment
4. Direct and Indirect Characterization

Direct/Indirect Characterization

Direct Characterization - When you TELL the reader about a character (looks, attitude, personality, likes, dislikes, hobbies). It is not enough to say one thing about looks. You need to include lots of information!

Indirect Characterization - when you learn about a character (looks, attitude, personality, likes, dislikes, hobbies, etc.) through their actions. Don’t tell me that the character is energetic. Have the character do something energetic.

CLICK HERE for the classwork if you are absent!

BOOK LOVE

On Wednesday, April 27, we will be having a Book Love Book Chat. This is DIFFERENT from the book reviews you have been writing. 

HOMEWORK/IMPORTANT DATES

• Read Chapter ELEVEN in To Kill a Mockingbird. 
• Quiz Tomorrow on Chapter 10/11
• NOMEN Vocab work due Wednesday, April 20.
• Click here for the slides.
• You will have a Vocab Quiz on Friday, April 22.
• Click here for the slides.
• You must complete a Book Love selection by April 22. 
• Book Love Book Chat will take place on Wednesday, April 27
• Work on Research Paper Revisions. (I will accept research paper revisions until April 28. After that, scores are permanent.)

Reading Discussion

Today's Goal: Discuss important events and themes within To Kill A Mockingbird

The Plan:

1. Book Love!
2. Chapter 8/9 Quiz
3. Chapter 8/9 P4R Review (on Classroom)
4. Read Chapter 10

ESSAY GRADING/REVISIONS (this is the last day I will be putting this here.)

Today, you will be receiving a lot of information about your essay grades. Here are the main points:

1. Your grade is on Turnitin.com, along with your rubric scores. I will publish the grades in a few days, but for now, you'll have to use turnitin.com as your guide. If you can't find it, come see me after school and I will help you. 
2. If you don't have a grade, there is probably a reason, and you need to come see me after school.
3. You are eligible to revise for a higher grade. In order to do this, you must follow the steps on THIS form. (I also have paper copies in class for you).
4. The LAST day I will accept any revisions for this assignment is onThursday, April 28.
5. You will get a SEPARATE GRADE for digital literacy. Click here to see that rubric, if you're curious.

HOMEWORK/IMPORTANT DATES

• Read Chapter TEN in To Kill a Mockingbird. 
• NOMEN Vocab work due Wednesday, April 20.
• Click here for the slides.
• You will have a Vocab Quiz on Friday, April 22.
• Click here for the slides.
• You must complete a Book Love selection by April 22. That's one week from now. I believe in you. (We will talk about your Book Love Assignment tomorrow. Sorry - I need an extra day to make it clearest)
• Work on Research Paper Revisions. 

Slang and Dialect

Today's Goal: Evaluate the impact that regional dialect and slang can have on a reader, using examples from To Kill a Mockingbird.

The Plan:

1. Book Love!
2. Chapter 6/7 Quiz
3. Dialect and Slang (on Google Classroom)
4. Read Chapter 8 of To Kill a Mockingbird

ESSAY GRADING/REVISIONS

Today, you will be receiving a lot of information about your essay grades. Here are the main points:

1. Your grade is on Turnitin.com, along with your rubric scores. I will publish the grades in a few days, but for now, you'll have to use turnitin.com as your guide. If you can't find it, come see me after school and I will help you. 
2. If you don't have a grade, there is probably a reason, and you need to come see me after school.
3. You are eligible to revise for a higher grade. In order to do this, you must follow the steps on THIS form. (I also have paper copies in class for you).
4. The LAST day I will accept any revisions for this assignment is on Thursday, April 28.
5. You will get a SEPARATE GRADE for digital literacy. Click here to see that rubric, if you're curious.

Chapter 8 Purposes for Reading
1. Libel is a published false statement that is damaging to a person's reputation; a written defamation.
Atticus accuses Jem of libel. Why does he do this and what other name does Miss Maudie use to describe the object?

Chapter 9 Purposes for Reading

1.What are the reasons Atticus gives Scout for defending Tom Robinson?

2. What lesson does Scout teach Uncle Jack?

3. Why did Atticus want Scout to secretly “hear every word” of his conversation with Uncle Jack? (pg.117)

HOMEWORK/IMPORTANT DATES

• Read Chapter EIGHT and NINE in To Kill a Mockingbird over the weekend
• You will have a chapter 8/9 quiz on Monday, April 18 
• You will have a Vocab Quiz on Friday, April 22
• You must complete a Book Love selection by April 22. That's one week from now. I believe in you.
• Work on Research Paper Revisions. 

Sentence Chunking

See how this picture is also several smaller pictures?
Paragraphs and sentences are like this too.

Today's Goal: Learn the skill of "sentence chunking" to help us understand challenging texts.

The Plan:

1. Book Love!
2. Review Chapter 6 Purposes for Reading
3. Sentence Chunking Activity
4. Read Chapter 7
5. Work on Purposes for Reading

Sentence Chunking:

Sentence Chunking is strategy to use when reading in which you break down the text into smaller "chunks" to make it more manageable. Today we will learn one way of doing this.

We will be breaking the sentences down into process, participants, and circumstances.

Process: What is being done? (verbs are helpful here)

Participants: Who is involved? 

Circumstances: What's going on? What descriptions are there that give us more information?

HOMEWORK/IMPORTANT DATES

• Finish Reading Chapter 7 in To Kill a Mockingbird
• Complete the P4R questions on Google Classroom (due tomorrow)
• BOTH 6 AND 7 P4R should be done!
• You will have a chapter 6/7 quiz on Friday, April 15 (tomorrow!)
• You will have a Vocab Quiz on Friday, April 22
• You must complete a Book Love selection by April 22. That's about two weeks from now. I believe in you.

Setting: More than a place on a map

Today's Goal: Continue our investigation of the social and cultural norms of Maycomb, Alabama.

The Plan:

1. Book Love!
2. Chapter 5 quiz
3. Discuss P4R Questions for Chapter 5
4. Classwork on Setting
5. Start Chapter 6 *fingers crossed we get to this*

Setting in To Kill a Mockingbird:

Lee provides readers details of the social and political atmosphere of life in the South during the Depression Era. In a story, the setting is not always just time and place. it includes the atmosphere, both social and political. 

Setting can include:

• the way things are done (norms)
• how people treat one another
• religion
• class structure
• social structure
• economics

Today you will be using Chapters 1-4 to investigate examples of setting in To Kill a Mockingbird. If you're absent, click here for the sheet to print out and complete.

HOMEWORK/IMPORTANT DATES

• Finish your Setting Chart - Due TOMORROW
• Read Chapter 6 in To Kill a Mockingbird
• Complete the P4R questions on Google Classroom (due tomorrow)
• You will have a chapter 6/7 quiz on Friday, April 15
• You will have a Vocab Quiz on Friday, April 22
• You must complete a Book Love selection by April 22. That's about two weeks from now. I believe in you.

Catching Up, Moving Forward

Today's Goal: Assess the unspoken societal norms of Maycomb, Alabama and the ways in which these societal norms affect the characters.

Plan:

1. Read!
2. Chapter 3/4 Quiz
3. Some close reading.
   

Homework/Important Dates:

• Read Chapter 5 for Homework
• Short Quiz tomorrow
• P4R to keep in mind (you do NOT have to write the answers for homework):
• 1. What do “foot-washing” Baptists believe in? How these descriptions might add to the setting of the town.
• 2. Read the end of the chapter closely. What is “the oldest trick on lawyer’s record” that Atticus uses against Jem?
• Vocab IDEO practice due Wednesday, April 13
• Click here for the slides.
• You must complete a Book Love selection by April 22. That's about two weeks from now. I believe in you.

To Kill a Mockingbird - reading!

Hey everyone. I am sorry that I cannot be with you today. I know you've missed me; I missed you too, and I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Please treat Mr. Benson with the utmost respect so that we can all come back tomorrow in good moods.

Let me just say that I totally know and understand that some of you have been worrying about Expository Research Paper related issues (and other grade things). Trust Mr. Benson when he tells you that you're going to be okay, and we'll deal with it. I will be available at lunch tomorrow as well as after school for a couple hours. Find time then to come to me and investigate the issue.

Your essays will probably not ALL be graded by tomorrow. I'm doing my best. There are a lot of you. My goal is that they're done on Wednesday by the time I see you.

Today's Goal: Get back in the swing of English class and do some reading.

The Plan:

1. Book Love Reading! Let's get back in this habit, please!
2. To Kill a Mockingbird Review
3. Read Chapter 4 of To Kill a Mockingbird
4. Purposes for Reading Questions (Chapter 4 P4R DUE before you leave today.)
5. If time, start reading chapter 5

Purposes for Reading, Chapter 4 
You will write this on paper in complete sentences and you will turn it in BEFORE YOU LEAVE TODAY. Don't waste your class time. Be detailed, thorough, and use evidence. It's worth your time to practice this.

1. Read to document the reasons (find evidence and explain) why Scout doesn’t want to play the “new” summertime game anymore.
2. Harper Lee illustrates that even the children adopt the assumptions the town has placed on the Radley place.  Document where we see this in the chapter (that means use evidence to answer the question).  What are some reasons she might choose to include the children? 

Homework/Important Dates:

• Due to my absence today, your quiz has been moved. Sorry about that. Now you can be extra prepared.
• QUIZ tomorrow, Tuesday, April 12
• Chapter 3-4 quiz of To Kill a Mockingbird
• It will be no more than 10 questions.
• Vocab IDEO practice due Wednesday, April 13
• Click here for the slides.
• You must complete a Book Love selection by April 22. That's about two weeks from now. I believe in you.

Preparing for Break

Today's Goal: Make sure you have everything you need to complete your essay, submit it on time, and prepare for Spring Break.

The Plan:

1. Book Love
2. Integrity Acknowledgement/Plagiarism
3. Work Time, if you're lucky.
4. Start reading To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 3

Important Dates and Homework:

• Your final paper is due on Turnitin.com by 11:59 pm on Friday, April 1 (THAT'S TODAY. 
• You will *hopefully* submit your final paper before you even leave class.
• DO NOT turn it in LATE if you want to avoid a late penalty. This is one of those times where the deadline is strict. 
• Over break, you are required to read Chapter 3 of To Kill a Mockingbird 
• Complete the Purposes for Reading questions that I will be putting on Google Classroom before class on Monday. 
• You will get a short quiz when you return. It will be no more than 5 questions. Make sure you read!
• You must complete a Book Love selection by April 22. That's 3 weeks from now. I believe in you.